Different Degrees of Normal
by Juliet316 2000
Summary: Things are not always what they seem.
1. Prologue

I got bored so I started a new story. Â Hope you like. Â Plot borrows some elements of Buffy's "Normal Again." Â I've put a twist on it for anybody who's seen the episode.  
  
TITLE: Different Degrees of Normal Prologue/?  
  
AUTHOR: Juliet3:16  
  
EMAIL: Â Sweetvalley99@aol.com Â Â   
  
RATING: PG - 13.  
  
CONTENT: VIOLENCE, ADULT LANGUAGE  
  
CATEGORY: ADULT, ANGST, DRAMA  
  
SPOILERS: Everything up to I'd guess October/November 2000. Â The prologue starts in November 2001 and Chapter One starts in September/October 2004, whenever the Athens Olympics ends, since I've heard Kurt maybe training for another run at that. Â Anybody who's watched BTVS's "Normal Again" may have some idea of what's going to happen in this story as well.  
  
SUMMARY: Not all is what it seems (I've taken elements from BTVS's "Normal Again" and put a twist on certain elements. Â Those who've seen the episode may have a vague idea of where I'm going with this after reading the prologue).  
  
DISCLAIMER: Vince owns all of wrestling, I own nothing. Â Don't sue. Â Eric Bischoff owns himself  
  
DISTRIBUTION: Â The Realm, Fanfiction.net  
  
  
  
Different Degrees of Normal  
  
Prologue  
  
November 2001  
  
Â Â Â  A man in his mid forties walked down the psychiatric hospital's corridors with ease. Â He was neither a doctor nor a patient (though some of this man's enemies would love to see him locked up in a place like that), but that did not faze this man.  
  
Â Â Â As the gray haired man walked down the hallway towards a special wing of the hospital, he suppressed the urge to whistle as he strode into a special observation room in the ward. Â The doctors tended to frown upon him whistling in there. Â Actually they don't like me at all, the man thought ruefully.  
  
Â Â Â He spotted a graying doctor in his late 40's - early 50's looking out the window of the relatively spartan room.  
  
Â Â   
  
Â Â Â "Doctor Mollari, how's it going?" Â The man's loud, boisterous voice echoed as he approached the doctor. The tall German looked at the shorter man in annoyance.  
  
Â Â Â "Everything, as you say, is going very well," Gustav Mollari enunciated in his thick German accent. Â "In fact, we should have most, if not all of the patients ready for release by the end of the month."  
  
Â Â Â "Perfect," the man said, "what about the hypnotic suggestions?"  
  
Â Â Â "Those will be implanted prior to they're release," Gustav said.  
  
Â Â Â "Good. Â What about - "  
  
Â Â Â "Still uncooperative. I'm starting to believe he may never be 'cured,' unfortunately," Mollari sighed.  
  
Â Â Â "If he isn't don't ever let him leave. Â It's dangerous to have him among the living," the malevolent man instructed the doctor.  
  
Â Â Â "We've already put him in a private room, away from the others," the not - so - good doctor told the other man.  
  
Â Â Â "Good. Monthly payments should arrive on schedule tomorrow. Â Keep me updated on the process, especially when they are released.  
  
Â Â Â Doctor Mollari nodded, then went back to his observations and his employer turned towards the window as well, gazing at the rows of patients strapped zombie - like in their beds.  
  
Â Â Â This is TOO perfect, the man thought sadistically.  
  
Â Â Â Continuing to stare at the patients from the observation window, Eric Bischoff smiled.  
  
Well, what do you think? Remember, a healthy muse is one that gets feedback. 


	2. Chapter One: Homcomings

Chapter One

This part starts in Sept/Oct 2004  
  
  
TITLE: Different Degrees of Normal Chapter One/?  
AUTHOR: Juliet3:16  
EMAIL: Sweetvalley99@aol.com   
RATING: PG - 13.  
CONTENT: VIOLENCE, ADULT LANGUAGE  
CATEGORY: ADULT, ANGST, DRAMA  
SPOILERS: Everything up to I'd guess October/November 2000. The prologue starts in November 2001 and Chapter One starts in September/October 2004, whenever the Athens Olympics ends. Anybody who's watched BTVS's "Normal Again" may have some idea of what's going to happen in this story as well.  
SUMMARY: Not all is what it seems (I've taken elements from BTVS's "Normal Again" and put a twist on certain elements. Those who've seen the episode may have a vague idea of where I'm going with this after reading the prologue).  
DISCLAIMER: Vince owns all of wrestling, I own nothing. Don't sue. Eric Bischoff owns himself  
DISTRIBUTION: The Realm, Fanfiction.net, Peja  
  
_Different Degrees of Normal  
  
Chapter One.  
  
Homecomings  
  
September/October 2004  
  
Pittsburgh, PA  
  
_A young blonde woman barreled out of her home and raced to her Jeep, heading to the airport to pick up her husband, who had been gone for over a month. She had to wait through a traffic jam that blocked her way to the airport.  
  
_Guess everyone wants to see him too, _the blonde thought, _'after all, he **is **an Olympic Gold Medallist.  
  
_As she turned into the parking lot, she could see the crowds amassing outside the airport, awaiting the return of local Olympic heroes.  
  
After she showed the badge she was given a week prior to the security guard, she went to stand apart from the other families awaiting their loved ones, and waited for her husband to come through the gate.  
  
As the Olympic participants emerged from the portal of the gate, they had many joyous reunions and happy reunions. One man stood apart from the rest, looking confused and disappointed.  
  
"Hey stranger," said the blonde woman who'd set herself apart from the crowd, in a seductive voice.  
  
The stocky man turned towards the voice and smiled appreciatively at the blonde. "Hey yourself, what's a beautiful woman like you doing in a place like this?"  
  
The woman gave a teasing smile. "Waiting for my husband."  
  
The shorthaired man looked down into the blonde's soft brown eyes.  
  
"How would your husband feel if I planted a kiss on those exquisite lips of yours?" he asked.  
  
"Well, I don't know," the blond teased reaching her hand under the top of the man's shirt, "he _is _an Olympic Gold Medallist," she said pulling out the man's gold medals.  
  
The man smiled. "Hello, Mrs. Angle," the man stooped down to give the short blonde a kiss.  
  
Mrs. Angle smiled, as the kiss was broken. "Hello Mr. Angle," she answered back.  
  
Kurt Angle smiled down at his small wife as they collected his baggage.  
  
"How's Alex?" Kurt asked, referring to the couple's three-year-old son, Eric Alexander.  
  
"Behaving like a three - year old," his wife answered, "he misses his Daddy though."  
  
"I missed him too. Did his Mommy miss me too?"  
  
The blonde smiled. "Every damn day. Damned passport problems," she muttered.  
  
"Well, hopefully this will be the last time we're apart for this long again," Kurt said outside his wife's Jeep.  
  
His wife smiled again. "I can deal with that. I love you Kurt Angle."  
  
Kurt smiled in return. "I love you, Trish Stratus - Angle."  
  
Trish beamed as she kissed her husband again and climbed into the passenger side of the Jeep.  
  
"So were the Closing Ceremonies as fun as they looked on TV?" Trish asked.  
  
"Not really. Didn't have you and Alex to share it with." Kurt responded, "So how was everything else around here?"  
  
Trish swallowed hard. She wasn't sure how her hubby would take this news.  
  
"I got a call from Vince yesterday," she said quietly.  
  
       Kurt sighed as he put the Jeep into park in the driveway of their home.  
  
"Yeah, I know," Kurt said just as quietly, "he visited me right before the Closing Ceremonies. Said he wanted to start up the Federation again."  
  
Trish nodded, knowing it was basically the same conversation she'd had with presently former, and perhaps future World Wrestling Federation Chairman Vince McMahon. "So, what are you going to say to him?"  
  
"I don't know. Dammit!" Kurt smacked his palm on the upper part of the steering wheel. "I thought that when - " he paused, emotions coming up as he remembered that time that drove both him and his wife out of pro wrestling, "I thought I'd walked way from it four years ago. Swore I was done four years ago."  
  
"And now?" Trish asked gently  
  
"Now? I don't know. Part of me wants to stay here in Pittsburgh with you and Alex forever. Yet another part of me - "  
  
"Wants to go back and finish what you started?" Trish finished for her husband.  
  
"Yeah," Kurt answered softly.  
  
Trish looked at her hands for a moment, coming to a decision.  
  
"I'll go back, if you go back," she stated simply.  
  
"What?" Kurt looked shocked. He leaned over his wife with worry on his face. "Trish, are you? I mean?"  
  
Trish put a finger to her husband's lips, effectively stopping any questions.  
  
"I miss it too, she replied, "And Alex needs to see what his parents did for a living. Plus," she said with a teasing grin, "You can't go back to the WWF without your manager, can you?"  
  
Kurt gave a soft smirk of merriment that reached his hazel eyes as he gently caressed his wife's hand.  
  
"I love you," he said.  
  
"I love you too," she responded as Kurt gently kissed her forehead.  
  
"We'll call Vince tomorrow with our decision okay?"  
  
"Okay," Trish nodded.  
  
The couple got out of the Jeep and started to head towards their home. Suddenly, a small three - year old boy burst out of the front door of the house.  
  
"Daddy! Daddy!" Eric Alexander Angle exclaimed as his father swooped the young boy into his arms.  
  
"Hey little guy," Kurt said to his son, "did you take good care of your Mom while I was away?"  
  
"Yeah," Alex answered with happiness in his eyes.  
  
"He sure did," Trish supported, "and he can't wait to hear all about his father's adventures."  
  
"Well, why don't we go inside and Daddy will tell you all about his trip to Greece." Kurt told his son.  
  
Kurt Angle headed into the house with his son in his arms and his wife by his side.  
  
I apologize for anybody who might have gotten a sugar shock with this chapter. I promise it's not all going to be fluffy. More soon.   



End file.
